Collapsible walled pallet



Aug. 11, 1953 D. H. BITNEY 2,643,455

COLLAPSIBLE WALLED PALLET Filed Oct. 29, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l FQWMM fi o/06y Aug. 11, 1953 D. H. BITNEY COLLAPSIBLE WALLED PALLET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29, 1951 5 X/fwway Patented Aug. 11, 1953 COLLAPSIBLE WALLED PALLET Dewey H. Bitney, Albion, Mich., assignor to Union Steel Products Company, Albion, Mich.

Application October 29, 1951, Serial No. 253,611

I 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a collapsible walled pallet.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a materials handling pallet or skid having collapsible walls which may be compactly collapsed upon the deck for storage and shipment and permitting stacking of collapsed pallets without injury to the walls thereof.

Second, to provide a structure of this character which is fabricated entirely of metal and at the same time is relatively light in weight in proportion to its capacity.

Third, to provide a collapsible walled structure in which the walls may be very easily manipulated from collapsed to erected position and vice versa.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a pallet embodying my invention with the walls in erected position.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view with the walls in collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section on a line corresponding to line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in section on a line corresponding to line 4-4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in section on a line corresponding to line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

While the collapsible wall features of my invention are particularly adapted for embodiment in pallets and skids (and I have illustrated the same in such an embodiment), features thereof are desirable for use in collapsible walled containers or crates designed for other uses. The deck of the pallet constitutes the bottom of the crate or receptacle.

In the embodiment illustrated the deck designated generally by the numeral I comprises an upper and lower series of slats 2 and 3 respectively, the slats of each series being disposed in parallel spaced relation and the slats of the two series in crossing relation to each other. The slats of the series are welded together at their crossing points as indicated at 4. The slats are desirably formed of heavy wire or light rod dimensioned to the size of the pallet and the loads it is designed to carry.

The legs 5 of the deck are formed as castings, intermediate legs 6 being of U-shape and formed of sheet metal. The upper ends of the legs are secured to the underside of the deck by the leg attaching bars I which are welded to the underside of the deck and to the legs. The base is made up of sheet metal base bars 8 and 9 disposed in crossing relation and welded to each other and to the legs. The leg and base structure illustrated is substantially that shown in the Averill and Hobson application for Letters Patent filed January 18, 1951, Serial Number 306,548.

The walls are formed of vertical slats I0 disposed in spaced parallel relation and horizontal slats I l disposed in spaced parallel relation to each other and crossing relation to the vertical slats and fixedly secured thereto as by welding indicated at I2. Opposed walls I3 and I4 are hingedly secured to the deck by helically coiled hinge member IS. The helically coiled hinge member I5 is spiralled around the outer deck slat l6 and the lower horizontal slat I! of the wall It. The wall I3 has inwardly offset arms IE on the lower ends of its vertical slats, these arms being connected by the horizontal bars l9 and 23 which are welded thereto. The bar I9 is disposed adjacent to one of the deck slats 2| and the hinge member I5 is spiralled around the bar I 9 and the deck 2I.

The wall 22 is hingedly connected to the wall It by means of the helically coiled hinge members 23 which are spiralled around the end vertical slat 24 of the wall It and the end vertical slat 25 of the wall 22. The wall I4 is similarly connected to the wall opposite the wall II as shown at 26. The walls are thus hingedly connected in pairs at diagonally opposite corners of the container to permit their being collapsed upon each other as shown in Fig. 2. The hinging connections for the pairs to the deck or bottom member permit the folded pairs being collapsed or folded upon the deck or bottom in superimposed parallel relation thereto as is shown in Fig. 2. The arms I8 of the wall I3 are of such length that they permit this or render this possible.

When the wall It is erected the longitudinal bar 20 rests upon the bottom member at the inner side of the outer slat 2? thereof so that the load on the wall I3 is transmitted directly to the bottom member. This is a matter of importance as loaded pallets are frequently stacked one upon another. The legs 5 have downwardly facing r.ecesses 28 adapted to receive the top edges of the walls when such stacking is desired. The swinging end of one wall of each connected pair is provided with means detachably engageable with the end of the adjacent wall.

{In the embodiment illustrated the walls H are provided with keepers 29 while the walls it are provided with bolts 30 engageable therewith. As the details of this connection form no part of my present invention they are not further illustrated or described herein.

I have not illustrated other embodiments or adaptations of my invention which I contemplate as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt the same as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a materials handling pallet, the combina tion of a deck provided with supporting legs and comprising upper and lower series of metal slats disposed with the slats of the series in crossing relation and fixedly connected at their crossing points, walls comprising fixedly connected vertical and horizontal slats swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the swinging end of one wall of each connected pair being provided with means detachably engageable with the end of the adjacent wall of the other pair, vertical slats of one wall of a hingedly connected pair having inwardly offset arms at their lower ends connected by a horizontal bar disposed in adjacent parallel relation to one of the upper series of slats of the deck spaced inwardly from an edge thereof, a helically coiled wire hinge member spiralled around said bar and said adjacent deck slat, said arms when the wall is erected being in supported engagement with the deck at the outside of the deck slat to which the arms are hingedly connected by said hinge member with the wall in approximately vertical alignment with the adjacent edge of the bottom member, and a helically coiled wire hinge member spiralled around the bottom slat of the wall opposed to said wall having the inwardly onset arms and a parallel slat of the deck to which it is adjacently positioned, the said arms of said wall being of a length permitting the collapsing of the collapsed pairs of Walls upon the deck with the pair having the arms hinged to the deck in overlapping substantially parallel relation to the other pair of Walls collapsed upon the deck, said legs having downwardly facing recesses engageable with opposite erected walls when one pallet is superimposed upon another.

2. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck provided with supporting legs and comprising upper and lower series of metal slats disposed with the slats of the series in crossing relation and fixedly connected at their crossing points, and walls comprising fixedly connected vertical and horizontal slats swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the swinging end of one wall of each connected pair being provided with means detachably engageable with the end of the adjacent wall of the other pair, vertical slats of one wall of a hingedly connected pair having inwardly ofiset arms at their lower ends connected by spaced parallel bars, the inner of which is disposed in adjacent parallel relation to one of the upper series of slats of the deck spaced inwardly from an edge thereof, the outer of which rests upon the lower series of slats when the wall is erected, the inner bar being hingedly connected to the deck slat adjacent thereto, the bottom slat of the wall opposed to said wall having the inwardly offset arms being hingedly connected to the slat of the deck parallel thereto, the said arms of said wall being of a length to position the wall when erected in approximately vertical alignment with the edge of the deck and permit the collapsing of the collapsed pairs of walls upon the deck with the pair having the arms hinged to the deck in overlapping substantially parallel relation to the other pair of walls collapsed upon the deck, said legs having downwardly facing recesses engageable with opposite erected walls when one pallet is superimposed upon another.

3.. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck provided with supporting legs, walls comprising fixedly connected vertical and horizontal slats swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the swinging end of one wall of each connected pair being provided with means detachably engageable with the end of the adjacent wall of the other pair, vertical slats of one wall of a hingedly connected pair having inwardly offset arms at their lower ends connected by a horizon tal bar, a hinge for said bar to said deck spaced from an edge thereof, said arms when the wall is erected being in supported engagement with the deck at the outside of their hinge connection thereto, and a hinge connection for the wall opposed to said wall having the inwardly ofiset arms to said deck, the said arms of said wall being of a length to position the wall when erected in approximately vertical alignment with the edge of the deck and permit the collapsing of the collapsed pairs of walls upon the deck with the pair having the arms hinged to the deck in overlapping substantially parallel relation to the other pair of walls collapsed upon the deck, said legs having downwardly facing recesses engageable with opposite erected walls when one pallet is superimposed upon another.

4. In a collapsible container, a bottom member comprising upper and lower series of metal slats disposed with the slats of the series in crossing relation and fixedly connected at their crossing points, walls comprising fixedly connected vertical and horizontal slats swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the swinging end of one wall of each connected pair being provided with means detachably engageable with the end of the adjacent wall of the other pair, vertical slats of one wall of a hingedly connected pair having inwardly offset arms at their lower ends connected by a horizontal bar disposed in adjacent parallel relation to one of the upper series of slats of the bottom member spaced inwardly from an edge thereof, a helically coiled wire hinge member spiralled around said bar and the adjacent bottom member slat, said arms when the wall is erected being in supported engagement with the bottom member at the outside of the bottom member slat to which the arms are hingedly connected by said hinge member with the wall in approximately vertical alignment with the adjacent edge of the bottom member, and a helically coiled wire hinge member spiralled around the bottom slat of the wall of the pair opposed to said wall having the inwardly offset arms and a parallel slat of the bottom member adjacent thereto, the said arms of said wall being of such length as to permit the collapsing of the collapsed pairs of walls upon the bottom member with the pair having the arms hinged to the bottom member in overlapping substantially parallel relation to the 5 other pair of walls collapsed upon the bottom member.

5. In a collapsible container, a bottom member comprising upper and lower series of metal slats disposed with the slats of the series in crossing relation and fixedly connected at their crossing points, and walls comprising fixedly connected vertical and horizontal slats swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the swinging end of one wall of each connected pair being provided with means detachably engageable with the end of the adjacent Wall of the other pair, vertical slats of one wall of a hingedly connected pair having inwardly offset arms at their lower ends connected by spaced parallel bars, the inner of the bars being disposed in adjacent parallel relation to one of the upper series of slats of the bottom member spaced inwardly from an edge thereof, the outer bar resting upon the lower series of slats when the wall is erected, the inner bar being hingedly connected to the deck slat adjacent thereto, the bottom slat of the wall of the pair opposed to said wall having inwardly offset arms being hingedly connected to the slat of the bot tom member adjacent thereto with the wall in approximately vertical alignment with the adjacent edge of the bottom member, the said arms of said wall being of such length as to permit the collapsing of the collapsed pairs of walls upon the bottom member with the pair having the arms hinged to the bottom member in overlapping substantially parallel relation to the other pair of walls collapsed upon the bottom member.

6. In a collapsible container, the combination of a bottom member comprising upper and lower series of metal slats disposed with the slats of the series in crossing relation and fixedly connected at their crossing points, walls comprising fixedly connected vertical and horizontal slats swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the swinging end of one wall of each connected pair being provided with means detachably engageable with the end of the adjacent wall of the other pair, vertical slats of one wall of a hingedly connected pair having inwardly offset arms at their lower ends connected by a horizontal bar disposed in adjacent parallel relation to one of the upper series of slats of the bottom member spaced inwardly from an edge thereof, hinge connections for said bar to the adjacent bottom member slat, said arms when the wall is erected being in supported engagement with the bottom member at the outside of the bottom member slat to which the arms are hingedly connected, and a hinge connection for the bottom slat of the wall opposed to said wall having the inwardly offset arms and a parallel slat of the bottom member to which it is adjacently positioned, the said arms of said wall being of a length permitting the collapsing of the collapsed pairs of walls upon the bottom member with the pair having the arms hinged to the bottom member in overlapping substantially parallel relation to the other pair of collapsed walls.

7. In a collapsible container, the combination of a bottom member, walls comprising fixedly connected vertical and horizontal slats swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the swinging end of one wall of each connected pair being provided with means detachably engageable with the end of the adjacent wall of the other pair, vertical slats of one wall of a hingedly connected pair having inwardly offset arms at their lower ends connected by a horizontal bar hingedly connected to the bottom member in spaced relation to an edge thereof, said arms when the wall is erected being in supported engagement with the bottom member at the outside of its hinge connection thereto with the wall in approximately vertical alignment with the adjacent edge of the bottom member, and a hinge connection for the bottom slat of the wall opposed to said wall having the inwardly offset arms to the bottom member adjacent its opposite edge, the said arms of said wall being of a length permitting the collapsing of the collapsed pairs of walls upon the bottom member with the pair having the arms hinged to the bottom member in overlapping substantially parallel relation to the other pair of collapsed walls.

DEWEY H. BITNEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 797,871 Smith Aug. 22, 1905 2,547,624 Coit Apr. 3, 1951 

